Lone Wolf and Cub Motion Comic Project Kickstarter Details

We've just been sent details of a new Kickstarter called Samurai Lone Wolf. It aims to turn the classic manga Lone Wolf Cub into a motion comic.

What's a motion comic? According to the Kick stater it's "...a term for a next generation of comics that takes realism of the medium to a new level, using digital processing techniques to enrich the original artwork by adding movement to the drawings that were inked by the hand of the artists themselves."

Basically it's moving manga. They intend to take the original artwork and animate it slightly. So characters lips will move. Characters arm movements will animated in key panels and so on.

Lone Wolf and Cub has won plenty of awards including an Eisner Award (Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material / Best Archival Collection/Project). It's been adapted into movies and a TV show in Japan. It's also known as Shogun Assassin in some places. The manga itself is hugely influential and held in high regard. We just wonder is there any demand for a motion comic? Part of the joy of reading manga is letting your imagination fill in the gaps. You can read it at your own speed, you can spend ages admiring the line work or speed through pages as you please. The goal has been set to $300,000 USD. We think this crowdfunding attempt is ambitious. So far $1,140 has been pledged with 29 days left, so there's plenty of time for it to reach it's goal.

Full Story

Press release as follows:

SoraSeed, Inc.

Lone Wolf and Cub Motion Comic Project
Tokyo, February 25 2016 | SoraSeed, Inc. (CEO: Yasuko Okano) will be undertaking a crowdfunding project on Kickstarter to produce the motion comic version of Lone Wolf and Cub by Kazuo Koike under copyright permission by the author.

First published in Japan from 1970 to 1976, then translated and published under the title, Lone Wolf and Cub, in the U.S. by Comics First in 1987 and Dark Horse from 2000 to 2002, this motion comic version of the award winning work will transform the classic story using the latest in motion and effect technology for a new generation.

What are Motion Comics?
"Motion comics" use digital processing techniques to enrich the atmosphere and realism of the original graphic work by adding movement to the drawings inked by the hand of the artists themselves.

As digital content, it offers a greater accessibility to foreign graphic formats like Japanese manga.

A Shift in the Medium
Until now, motion comics strived to turn the comic into a single animation. With this project, the motion comic will become a unique medium unto itself, embracing emotion and theatrical performance from the perspective of game creator.

Author
Kazuo Koike: "The motion comic allows for movement and sound in a manga. This helps translate to the reader the world they are entering by offering a more present and immersive experience. It is neither animation nor film, but a whole different experience. I am very happy say that this motion comic will bring a fresh and unique perspective to Lone Wolf and Cub. It is my sincerest wish that I be able to share this new creation with everyone."

Project Director
The project will be headed by Hifumi Kono, president of Nude Maker Co. Ltd., and creator of the horror game franchise, Clock Tower. His work as a director, script writer and game planner spans many titles, including Clock Tower, Clock Tower 2, Steel Battalion, Steel Battalion: Line of Contact, and Infinite Space.

Hifumi Kono: "This project will bring together the technical know-how of digital motion and effects from the game industry, and the storyboard production and camera expertise from the anime industry to breathe new life into this mortal ballet of sword masters and ninja warriors."

SoraSeed, Inc.
"Working with creators to put their characters on the global stage."

With media content so accessible now on a phone or tablet, we believe it is constantly necessary to search for new and innovative ways to introduce and relate the world of the artist to audiences. It is our mission to give the characters of those worlds a global stage to give their best performance.